


Volatile

by Kuroeia (Empatheia)



Category: Death Note, Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Request Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-07
Updated: 2008-06-07
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10316918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empatheia/pseuds/Kuroeia
Summary: There are many people he wants dead, and many more he doesn't care about, but only one he almost trusts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written on request.
> 
> **Prompter:** numisma on LJ  
>  **Prompt:** chemistry

The lab was empty but for the two of them.

 

The white surfaces were harshly bright in the artificial greenish lighting. Every sound fell dead in the air, two-dimensional and tinny. It was very late... or very early, depending on which side one looked at it from. The building felt empty around them, as buildings only do at obscene hours of the morning.

 

Fuji Syuusuke and Yagami Light were working on their term project.

 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Light flatly, not looking up from his own array of beakers and tubes and burners. "It'll explode in your face."

 

Fuji did not pause, but looked back at Light with a patient smile while his hands continued to work, sure and confident even blind. "I know that, Yagami-kun. I am many things, but bad at chemistry is not one of them. The mixture will be explosive, but — as I'm sure you know — require either great heat or a catalyst to set it off, and I am confident that I am quite observant enough not to light it on fire or pour strange things into it until it is safe again."

 

Light smiled to himself, sharp and gone as quick as it came. "Of course. Forgive my presumption, Fuji-senpai."

 

"Maybe," replied Fuji lightly. "Maybe not. It depends on whether you really plan to put that on the burner before adding—"

 

With a muttered oath, Light snatched the beaker back from the bubbling pot he'd been just about to pour it into, fighting the urge to blush. He knew his chemistry. He knew that if Fuji hadn't stopped him he would have likely just burned his face off with a cloud of acidic green steam. He hadn't made this mistake because he was stupid — far from it — or ignorant. He'd simply been distracted... something which happened rather a lot around his enigmatic upperclassman.

 

Light could not understand Fuji, which was a rare enough occurrence that it provided constant fascination. He often spent hours just watching him — spying on him, really; practically stalking — just trying to figure out what made him tick. Whenever he thought he'd finally found something, however, Fuji would then change his behaviour as if to spite him. He was a chameleon. Nothing about him was constant except that infernal smile on his face, and Light liked it that way.

With Fuji around, Light was never bored. Fuji was  _interesting,_  and that was more valuable to Light in a person than any other attribute.

He hoped Fuji would never do anything to make himself worth killing. He doubted it; Fuji was very clever, but he also had the rare ability to know when  _not_  to pry into the affairs of others, and Light felt sure that even if Fuji found out somehow what he did after hours with his Note and his pen, he would prudently turn the other cheek.

Of all the people in the world, there were thousands Light wanted dead, and billions he cared little about, but only one he almost trusted.

(There had been one other, but he had unfortunately set himself against Light, and now he was dead. Light had not wanted to kill him either.)

"That should do for tonight, Yagami-kun," said Fuji pleasantly, interrupting his train of thought. "You should get some rest. You've nearly blown yourself up three times tonight, and I'd be most put out if I lost my lab partner mid-project."

This time Light did blush. "It won't happen again, Fuji-senpai."

Fuji's eyes crinkled at the edges. "Actually, I'm quite certain it  _will_  happen again, but don't let that worry you. I wouldn't let such a clever man die from such a ridiculous thing. There are so few already."

"I will endeavour not to die for your sake, then," retorted Light stiffly, packing his things away neatly and standing up to leave.

"Most people endeavour not to die for their own," Fuji pointed out, a barely hidden laugh in his voice.

Light turned his back to Fuji just in time to hide his deepening flush. "Good night, Fuji-senpai."

"Good night, Yagami-kun," Fuji said softly to his back. "Sleep well."

His voice, insidious and meaningful, went down Light's spine like a trickle of ice, and all of a sudden he felt quite sure he  _wouldn't_  be sleeping well tonight. That voice would follow him all the way back to his dormitory and under the covers, and stay with him all night until the sun chased it away.

This wouldn't be the first sleep he would lose over Fuji, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last.

The door closed behind him with a quiet sound, leaving Light alone in the glaring white hallway with his obsession.

It was going to be a long night.

**X**


End file.
